Recipes

Here is an incredibly easy dish that anyone can whip up in a matter of minutes when they come home from work hungry. Fresh seasonal veges, lightly sautéed in oodles of coconut oil or grass fed butter with mountains of garlic to keep the vampires away, as well as build up the immune system- double whammy!!

The temperatures are soaring where I live, so heavy foods are just not kosher thanks. My body wants light, fresh, healthy meals so it can focus on dealing with the heat. I don’t want to give it food that will only cause me to get ….even more hot…that would be wrong on so many levels… bahahahha

Another thing- if you cant laugh at yourself, then you certainly can’t laugh at much in life… enjoy your light foods, and enjoy a light attitude in life… life becomes so much more pleasant and FUN!!

So you have come home on one of these stinking hot evenings without a meal planned.. oops– BUT as you went to the markets in the weekend to stock up on fresh local, cheap, organic veges… you have a fridge stock piled full of crisp, delicious seasonal veges ready to be eaten…

How to make your veges SEXY!

If you don’t want a salad.. and let’s face it some nights/days we do want some cooked food.. this is a recipe perfect for warm al-dente food. I saw this in a workshop I was a participant of with Mona Hecke as the presentor. I think it needs to be shared far and wide. It is so simple, so easy, and oh so delish!

Use veges that are in season now!

Asparagus 1- 2 bunches.

Garlic 2-3 cloves.. the more the merrier if you ask me!

Coconut oil or grass fed butter. – I use quite a lot of either of these. Love the stuff.

In a flat pan, melt the butter and sauté the garlic… yum that aroma!!! Brown the garlic- the pic- that is important for presentation.

THEN add the asparagus and sauté till only just al-dente.. not long at all. I like my veges still crunchy. It keeps their integrity.. life is good with integrity….

Dice up a selection of colourful in season veges:

Egg plant

Red Pepper

Onion

Baby tomatoes

-whatever you have in the house! This was one version.. add more!!! – add mushroom, zucchini, carrot, beetroot, green beans…

Dice them chunky– you want big bits. Man size!

IN a wok, stir fry them lightly with coconut oil and loads of garlic again..Himalayan salt (contains 84 trace minerals no longer available in foods we eat..) and a bit of cayenne because I love it.

Only stir fry for a short time, 5 min max… don’t over cook!! Al-dente everything with this dish!

Voila- dinner is ready! In a flash!

Parmesan cheese… you need it.

Grate an ORGANIC parmesan cheeseover your dish once it is plated up, add a sprinkle more Himalayan salt for those minerals and a touch more cayenne to spice up your life.. some grated black peppercorns and dinner fit for a king is served.

Cant handle veges only…want some meat?

Sure!! It is this easy: Stir fry some organic free range chicken in with the garlic and butter/coconut oil.. EASY!!!!YES??.

This dish is perfect made for one- or served as part of a dinner party. Your guests will LOVE it!!!

And .. so long as you don’t heat the butter/oil too high- this dish can still be called RAW. If it stays under 46C – its technically RAW. Happy days for all the raw foodists out there. Me? I’m easy raw or cooked- I don’t like boxes and think it is dangerous to follow any diet too closely.. diets are diets- made by man for financial gain, designed to fail especially if not sustainable. 100% raw is not sustainable for most people, nor is it recommended by many health practitioners- such as those with a Chinese medicine background. More raw foods in Summer makes sense as it is hotter out there, and we naturally gravitate towards lighter, meals (raw sweets are NOT LIGHT….) In the Winter, we do like heavier type meals- but they don’ t HAVE to be ‘ heavy’ ; they CAN be gently cooked using slow cookers- resulting in soft, tender, easy to digest warming meals…

Think about food logically and don’t let the marketing get you- those marketers are very clever and are paid well to suck us in.. come out of the matrix my friends!!

Healthy food made fun.

Healthy food made easy!

Healthy Food made AFFORDABLE!

Enjoy and don’t spend too much time in the kitchen.. there is more to life!!!

xx Vashte xx

Ohhh I can hear the bongo drums.. hips are starting to wiggle (lol) .. the sun is shining… the water calls.. ah yes, the sweet sound of Summer approaching.

My favourite time of the year is NOW. Spring! Flowers bloom and there is a sense of starting over once again. A general upbeat tempo in the air, no one can put their finger on it but for me, it happens every Sept and Oct. OK mostly – there have been a couple of off years, but we choose not focus on them. Brilliant months!!

FUN PERSONIFIED!

I’m sharing with you a fabulous smoothie I created the other night. I had a mother of a sweet tooth and for the life of me, I was not leaving the kitchen! How funny.. creating and playing. It gives me a sense of freedom and respite as I trial new ideas in there. Curbs that hankering as I make something delicious from myWholefoods Kitchen.

My, my.. hasn’t the world changed for me… as I hope it changes for you too. A life remaining the same is rather a dull life and far too ordinary.

When a sweet tooth for me hits, very rarely am I off to buy rubbish from the shops. But it can happen. I prefer..and so does Craig, that I head to the Creative Lounge:My Kitchen and start playing in there!

Healthy Sweet Treats that won’t send your, or my blood sugars into a rage- and far surpass the flavours available from cheap, poisonous ingredients…out there… ewwww

This tasted as good as it looks- I hope you think it looks lush!

A perfect and easy smoothie for any time, any day and is sure to curb that sugar craving.. but you probably don’t get those.. maybe it is just me… lol.

I have balanced the sugars from the fruits with avocado and activated nuts..which I then stir fried in coconut oil and coconut nectar… you know I bat for most sides when it comes to food- if you are a raw foodist- just don’t cook the nuts- boom. Happy days

Cashews are my nut of choice here- they produce a creamy texture- which is why they are used in so many raw food recipes.

Avocados are used in smoothies 90% of the time in my Wholefood Kitchen as they also create a delicious creamy texture, balance out sugars, and help with fatloss.

Using the nuts and avocado you are sure to enjoy a filling and delicious smoothie- beyond all your wildest dreams!These are the ‘secrets’ behind all those amazing smoothies out there.. now you know.. no excuses at home! Also a great way to sneak Avocado into picky kids foods. – They get a treat they think is icecream- you have a giggle and enjoy the balanced behaviour after one of these as opposed to the anti freeze, refined sugar laden icecream sold for kids….

Enjoy. I am SURE you will as much as we did

For a discount on the best coconut nectaravailable click HERE for the code and HERE for the website. Have a good squizz around. I love their products. You will get 15% off any product using my discount- because we lurve you for hanging out here with me.

Coconut Nectar from Purely Natural– oh my Lord I love this stuff. I added quite a bit this evening- I wanted that sweetness without the guilt.

Ice- loads to create your ice-cream thickness

Blend baby blend!!

Pour into a wine glass! That’s what they are good for these days in my house!!

Top with cashews – stir-fried in coconut oil and coconut nectar if you really want to go wild, sweet cacao nibs – again from Purely Natural (this website is very addictive 😉 ), I had some dried blueberries so added those and then…. Drizzled some more coconut nectar.

Hello!!!

Enjoy- please share with anyone who might like this as an alternative to the usual sweet dead food we eat as a human race!! Tag me in on any pictures you take!! @vashte1

Can you eat a whole entire pizza in one sitting…and then some? I bet you CAN’T eat a whole entire pizza of MINE.

Ever wondered WHY you CAN eat a takeaway or store bought pizza all to yourself, and still be hungry? ..

Would you wonder how I can eat an entire one of those pizza’s an STILL be hungry an hour later..? I’m all of 60kg, 170 cm tall, 16% body fat = pretty lean.

I will give you my reasoning.. you can ask yourself if this makes sense:

THOSE pizzas out there..made from wheat, or even worse..those ‘gluten free’ pizza bases which are made up of ingredients designed for the rubbish… THOSE pizzas are nutrient devoid, and calorie HEAVY BABY. Calories that are useless to the body and can only be stored as FAT. THEIR calories just have no functional use inside these brilliant bodies of ours.. = empty calories. Dead calories. Useless food.

So what happens is when we eat that ‘stuff’…we add calories that only be stored as fat…but because there is no real nutrient value to that ‘stuff’ called food. We are still hungry due to lack of nutrients so the body asks for more- searching for the nutrients it needs! We are not pigs… we are just hungry for quality food! Stop buying that takeaway, frozen, store bought rubbish.. let me show you how easy it is to make your own– really fast!

How about it- can you process that information? Does it potentially hold any glimmer of truth for you? If so, start researching these thoughts!!

If you want pizza..and don’t want to miss out.. I don’t... then try my pizzas!! I gave you recipe for a wheat free pizza some time ago: the recipe is HERE.I have since expounded and played and experimented and boy have I nailed this baby. I AM going to share my updated recipe with you.. because I lurve you..and its fun to share health with anyone who cares…

Make this pizza and tell me what you think! Make a commentand you tell me if I have nailed this sucker! I will NEVER EVER desire that cardboard pizza from shops – be they takeaway or the expensive versions from health food shops.. they are all made of crappy ingredients that do absolute JACK for the body aside from clog it up… save your money and timeand make your own! It is the only way to ensure deliciousnessand to know what is in the food you eat.

BTW – did you know that a gluten free base… is not necessarily a gluten free base.. nor is a gluten free sauce a gluten free sauce etc etc … you see… it can be called ‘glutenfree’ if it is 95% gluten free. That means 5% of whatever you are buying is HIGHLY likely to have gluten in it. IF you are celiac.. as I am- you will KNOW this as truth due to the reaction you get from these ‘health’ products. Same goes for ‘organic’ ..and ANYTHING else. Its NOT guaranteed 100% truth.

What to do to:

BASE:

Preheat oven to approx 120C-140C.

Blend the cauliflower head in a powerful blender. I use a vitamix.If you do not have a blender- you can cook the cauliflower in water. But the issue here is you lose most of the good nutrients in cooking however it is an option for people without blenders.

The vitamix with break the cauliflower up into a wet mush; mash if you have cooked it.

The ‘wetness’ of each cauliflower cannot be determined until you mash it! If you have a wet cauliflower- you will want to ‘strain ‘the excess water out. Use a nut bag- as I use in my nut mylk recipe. Squeeze out the excess wetness. Magic- you have just dried your base out significantly.

In a bowl add the cauliflower with , eggs and 1- 2 cups of mozzarella cheese; season with Himalayan salt, pepper, cumin seeds and cayenne. I often use cayenne pepper to aid with thermagenic digestion. Mix with your hands until it is blended with no chunks.

You want the base to have FLAVOUR adding herbs will be the kicker. Add herbs. Add seasoning. THIS is the secret to an out of this world experience!

Lightly coat a pizza pan with coconut oil.

Press the cauliflower mixture onto the pizza pan with your knuckles for an even thin base. This is the base for your pizza. Press it into a pizza base not more than 2 cms thick. Mould the edges higher to form a thick crust pizza. Make the base pretty thin so it cooks all the way through. If it is too thick it will stay wet.. we want a true to life experience with our pizzas to blow the minds of the nay-sayers!

Remove pizza base from the oven and start to decorate as you would a pizza from the shops or made from home! ie with all your favourite ingredients!

TOPPING

Start with your pizza base. Use the tomato base, pesto base or whatever base you like for your pizza. I used a traditional tomato base for this pizza- and used the leggos tomato paste. Spread it thinly- too much will wet the base out.

While the pizza base was browning you could have been cooking up any meats, browning nuts, sauteeing onions and garlic- if you like those on your pizza so they are ready to just add once the pizza base is ready.

If you think your pizza looks ready.. it is. All we need to do now is add the grated Gouda over top- just a touch.. and she’s ready. Add the roasted cashews in coconut oil too and more garlic if you love it!

Return your pizza to the oven and allow the chesse to melt- this will not take long- all you are doing is melting the cheese and warming the topping- so don’t leave the kitchen!

When it looks sufficiently melted and smells heavenly- she is ready!

Use your pizza cutter to cut pieces, about 5 minutes after it has come out of the oven.This will allow the topping to settle slightly. Add fresh avo once its is portioned out- raw avo on a cooked pizza….YUM!

Use a knife to separate the crust from the edge of the base- the first piece if often a tad messy trying to lift from the pizza base- it is always the way right?! Be gentle with your pizza- she is not made of the usual ingredients!!

Realise a wheat free pizzais not a pizza you are likely to be able to pick up and eat with your hands- so let that go… the next day you may be able to though. As the base is cauliflower and cheese – The cheese binds your base– so once cheese hardens- its becomes more solid. But when it is warm it is soft. Comprendé?!

If this isn’t the best pizza you have eaten.. I’m a monkeys uncle.

Use this base for ANY of your favourite toppings. NEVER eat that dead-food from the shops every again and enjoy pizza any time, any day!

Do you want to know how to start eatinghealthy without it costing the earth?

I invite you to come along to any one, or many of my wholefood workshopscoming up between now and early December. We ran two in September- the review is HERE. Take a read to find out what other people think of them- and then book your spot!

Then join me on: Saturday 15th Nov 2014

HEALTHY SWEET TREATS:

We are all busy at this time of the year..all heading to parties and social gatherings.. all eating and drinking more than usual..

So if you want ideas on HEALTHY SWEET TREATS ..this workshop is for you.

If you would like to make treats for you, and the whole family that won’t make you or them sick, fat, or bloated…

If you want to get rid of the guilt..

If you want to enjoy some sweetness without the after-effects..

If you want to enjoy healthy whole food- that is less likely to disrupt your blood sugars, your thinking, your size..

email me or call me for your space on Saturday 6th Dec .

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Why miss out when you have goals for your health? You don’t have to.

Why go on a ‘diet’ especially at this time of the year… When you all know they just don’t work.

Why feel guilty when you have a desire for something ‘you think you ”shouldn’t” be eating”….. maybe you can…. same-same…but DIFFERENT….

When you come to a workshop with me- I will get you involved in the kitchen to give you confidence, a hands on experience, pack it with fun, and show you how to use ingredients that the body just loves… no genetic modification- no refined sugars- no fake food – no DR FRANK-EIN- FOOD.

When you come to a workshop with me- you have a load of laughs and get plenty of really neat ideas to share with your family and friends.

It is high time we took back ownership of our health- and our food is just one place we can start.

The point of these workshops is to share how I eat with anyone who is interested in learning basic skills, using beautiful organic ingredients where possible, using quality ingredients, and making wholefood easy- suitable to every single person no matter what the budget is, nor time constraints.

I want to share the power in knowing whatto eat, whento eat it and how to eat- for a long term, healthy lifestyle– suitable to all dietary choices.

My philosophy in food is pretty simple: Keep it simple; Keep it delicious! If I don’t make delicious food, then I’m not interested. Who wants to eat bland, boring food? Little wonder we reach for the nearest chocolate cake when we are out if food at home is tasteless.

Wholefood ought to be bursting with flavour! Why?! Because wholefood uses whole ingredients. Ingredients that are often organic; or spray free where possible; sourced locally so that means not frozen and available all year round producing a meh flavour. Wholefood is easy. Wholefood will fill you up for longerbecause it is nutrient dense- not necessary calorie dense. = This is where a lot of our current problem stems from:

Using the processed and refined ingredients so readily available from supermarkets gives us exactly the opposite to what the human body craves.

Refined flour, sugar, fat free… sugar free, synthesised food, anything man has messed with …… very few of these ingredients are actually fit for human consumption. They offer little to zero nutrient benefit to the human body, but still come with empty caloires and thenwe expect out bodies to digest these chemically laden ‘foods’ – we wonder why there is a continual increase in terminal illness, children being born with terminal illnesses, obesity and a constant existence of illness- always running to the ‘doctor’ for more pharmaceutical drugs- which may ‘bandaid’ the problem presenting… but how many of you actually read those side effects? Which are very real. And very present.

Be honest….

Wholefoods can significantly increase your overall wellness– the way you think – the words you speak- the energy you have each day – your attitude towards your life and even give you the strength to overcome the issues you face.

Really? Yes really. These are my very strong beliefsand I am sure any person living a ‘wholefood’ life will testify how changing one thing– can be the instigator to changing so many other areas in lifethat you may not even consider to be inter-related. …

Wholefoods are simple. Wholefoods are easy.Wholefoods do notsubscribe to one way of eating– but a wholefood lifestyle can give you the power to understand how ingredientsaffect your uniquebody and mind– and what works for you. We are all different. When we come to accept that and embrace this fact, we are more able to make empowered decisionsrelating to how we choose to live our lives. Does that inherently make sense to you?

I am celiac- which means my body does not like gluten nor dairy. In fact the cleaner I get with my eating, then more this becomes very apparent. Some people have a belief system that says “it was easier when you just at anything’ – my question I ask those people who state this is this:

Would you rather have your body and your mind running below par as it exists in a constant state of inflammation from you ‘eating anything ‘ resulting in you getting the cold, the flu, running on empty, low energy, tired, bloated unable to lose those 5 kilos.. or 25 kilos, get grey hair early, dry skin, gas after eating, constipation, diarrhoea, pains in the stomach, headaches…

The list goes on, but this list is a list too many people live with each and every day! And think it is just the way life is for them.

pfff.

It really is not normal.All signs of discomfort are the body trying to communicate with the brain informing us there is something wrong. It is not OK to ‘live’ with these symptoms and pop a pill to dull that warning. NO!! And if that means changing up a few ingredients in your everyday diet is THAT a big deal? Especially when many if not allthese symptoms disappear.. sometimes even over night… wouldn’t you think that it is worth giving it a try? Wouldn’t it be worth taking out inferior ingredients from your diet? Is it reallythat hard?

I can go on and on about the benefits of eating well. Eating well does notmean being sucked into fabulous marketing strategies out there every day.

Eating well does notmean thinking that shakes will lose the fat, or detox your body and mind.

Eating well does notmean dieting, nor does it mean eating 6 meals a day.

Eating well does not mean‘vegan; ‘raw’; ‘paleo’; ‘protein shakes’….or any other label.

Eating well means understanding your own body and working with what you have. That simple.

Noone can tell you how to eat, nor what to eat. We are all different. Theories change constantly. What was ‘right’ last week is ‘wrong’ this week. What was right last year is changed this year. Consider the war between the doctors, the dieticians, the nutritionists, the naturopaths, the raw food community, the paleo community… on and on and on…. bah blah blah….

Why this war? Who instigated this? Who drives it still?Does it really matter if you are willing to examine a few ideas and come to your own conclusion- every person and theory that has been ‘proven’ right – has also been ‘proven wrong’ – it pays to remember this fact.

I am about to release wholefood workshop dates for October and November. You are invited toto come hang out in the kitchen with me and play with wholefoods. You are welcome to register your interest- by subscribing to this website (top right corner). The dates are released to those who subscribe before they are shared with the general public. I figure people who are genuinely interested in my philosophy and way of life will subscribe – so that is my way to thank you for hanging out with me here.

September was a blast and I know I opened eyes as to how to create beautiful foods with little time to spare, and money. I am all about keeping it realwith no motive other than a genuine passion to empower people- mind, body and soul. It frustrates me to see so many sick people out there- when there is no need– and the answer is and always has been here, under your noses. But sometimes you just need a helping hand to show you the way- and then you fly like the eagles you were created to be – maybe I can be your helping hand..leading you into a fabulous healthy, and delicious Summer and Christmas… ?

Come to a workshop –subscribe today and get much more thanjust wholefoods’– get a whole new way of life….

xx Vashte xx

October and November dates about to be released- first in/ first serve!

Firstly I want to THANKYOU all so much for your enthusiasm and support for my Wholefood Workshops!! They have been received so well, and with such encouragement!! THANKYOU!!

The first workshop takes place tomorrow I am very excited !! The workshop is filled with amazing peopleall wanting to have fun, and learn more about the basics of my style of food prep. So- I have a very coolafternoon planned It is chocka- blockfull of ideas, concepts and yummy food!!! Not a grain of refined sugar, refined flour..refined anythingin sight! If anyone walks away hungry… I will fall over myself in disbelief.

My wholefood workshops are planned to be easy, and fun and designed for everyoneto get their hands messy, sticky and tasty! It is my firm belief that this is the best way to learn– having been a ‘resistant’cook for many years growing up I know what it is liketo have no confidencein the kitchen- and no desireto be there. NOW – I love the place because I knowI am creating the most tasty, delicious meals and morsels… and my food does notmake me fat!!!

I long believed food made me fat. That just by looking at food I would put on weight. Even if I smeltfood I would gain weight. No longer !!! As I grow in knowledge and understanding of INGREDIENTS, and howthey affect the body and mind… what foods my body loves, and what foods my body just absolutely does not love….. food is now my friend. It is not the enemy.

So my friends! I share this and so much more with you in my wholefood workshops, on this page and beyond!! Very excited and so stokedyou are all behind me. It really is very encouragingand I greatlyappreciate it. I truly do.

My second class on the 27th Sept 2014is now closedtoo as I have hit the maximum for that workshop as well!! Thankyou!!!

If you missed out, or couldn’t make these dates- I will be holding more workshops in Octwith a different menu– each month my wholefood workshop will be themed to suit the season– I cook to the seasons, and keep things as organic as possible. If you want to be in one of the October workshops– you will need to subscribe to my website (top right corner of the home page) as all subscribers get first choicefor spaces as a thankyou for hanging with me here!

I specialise in weight lossbut I prefer to take the focus off that and make food fun. When we make food fun, using wholeingredients that actually nourish the body, taste incredible and make you feel on top of the world… the rest just falls away without too much bother. This whole ‘weightloss’ industry– it is failing. Don’t be part of the failing industry- be part of the REVOLUTION. – the WHOLEFOOD REVOLUTION!!Stay herewith me a while, hang out, have fun, and let go of all that baggage the world puts on you. THIS is the way forward to true health. Come out of the matrix

Let’s get the whole ‘weightloss’ thing in perspective!!

Please feel free to share my posts and my sitewith anyone you know- I prefer to be gentle and realistic in the approach to health.

I would love to see you in my October classes (dates to be released) !! So subscribe today!!!!

FOOD MADE FUN .. AND REALISTIC 😉 !!!!!

xx Squishy Hugs Vashte!! xx

Who doesn’t love a cookie every now and then? Apparently they are ‘ bad’ for you… well that all depends on the ingredients doesn’t it! My cookies are mouthwateringly delicious – white flour free! White sugar free. Vegan. So enjoy with a lovely cup of green tea ( my preference is Madame Flavour– love her teas). It was a rainy day this cookie day so I had my ugg boots on and a plate of three- all to me. Happy days!

These cookies do contain some gluten as spelt has gluten- low gluten- but it’s gluten. As spelt is an ancient grain it is much less refined than regular flour. If you are ‘gluten intolerant’ try spelt – many people can enjoy this ancient grain. If you are a celiac like me – you will need to use a different flour- I give you some options below- and a couple of different photos subbing out the spelt to make them celiac friendly. Wholefood, healthy cooking is really all about understanding ingredients and knowing how to manipulate recipes to suit your digestion and palette. SO have fun with food- like I do!

I am not a ‘baker’ – I predominately make raw treats (without too many nuts and dates..); smoothies; and slow cook or dehydrate. But why put oneself in a box- if I can create these delicious morsels- so can you !!

What you need:

1 cup organic spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

1/4 c almond mylk (homemade if you have time !) HERE is how to make your own mylk. It is easy.

1/4 c melted virgin coconut oil

1/4 c coconut nectar – these are not sweet cookies- if you want them sweeter- you need to add more nectar..but make the recipe first-we eat too much sugar today…..

1 tspn organic vanilla paste – from the supermarket even!! It is heaven

How to Make it Work:

Add chocolate pieces (keep them chunky!) and walnut pieces leaving a little chocolate and walnut aside to sprinkle on top as decoration.

Wet your hands slightly and then roll into balls then place on the baking paper. If you make them big- they result in big cookies. Make them small – they are small cookies!

Dip a fork in spelt to lightly cover the prongs and use to flatten the cookie out. Make them quite fat if you like a chunky cookie.

Bake for 10-20 minutes. Keep an eye on your cookies as they are easy to burn. They are ready when they are a light brown colour all over- they need to be baked through to the middle. Watch the middle cookies- some ovens cook the cookies on the outskirts faster than the middle ones.

When they are done, let them cook for 3 minutes or so, then remove with a spatula to place them on a cooling rack. The longer you leave them on the baking tray- the longer they contunue to bake. They will be quite soft but will harden when they are cool.

Your house should smell amaaaazing! That vanilla is yummmmmy!!! I love my cookies warm- so go ahead – enjoy one before they become all boring and cold and…everyone else eats them!!

I pulled mine out a tad too soon so they were a little too moist- I use my dehydrator to finish the job when I do that – they go in for 30mins or so on 45C – it made them perfect. I slightly over cooked my other version (with no spelt) so was extra wary on these.. !!

Non gluten version:

for celiacs like me!!!

Sub out the spelt for

1 cup of almond meal. Almond meal is simply almonds ground to a flour- I ground mine but left them quite chunky. You do need a fine meal otherwise you end up with quite a wet cookie which is harder to get firm.

add 1/4 c coconut flour as well.

I took the coconut oil out completely as nuts have their own healthy fats. You don’t need more.

The oven needs to be lower- so set for 130C and bake for longer at the lower heat. This will help ensure you get a crispy cookie without burning the top like I did first time round. Bake for 20 mins keeping a close eye on them. I popped mine in the dehydrator once they had cooled for 20 mins or so- the dehydrator rocks! If you don’t have a dehydrator and try this version- pop them in the freezer once they are cooled! Yes really! They end up deliciously crunchy and won’t freeze. Nuts in the freezer are the best place to keep them as they keep their crunchiness there- especially if they have been activated and then dehydrated. (Bonus tip!!)

Next time I make these babies- I will add raisins and take out the walnuts. Keeping the chocolate though thank you very much!

So this is my mixture using my ground almond meal- it can be easier to buy the almond meal if you don’t have the best food processor. See how chunky and nutty it looks? :

If you make these – let me know how you go! Leave a comment below! They didn’t last 24 hours in my house!!!

Makes 9 big fat cookies.

This is the finish product for the almond meal double chocolate chip and walnut cookies. With Madame Flavour tea.. of course !

Leave me a comment- make them! Tell me your adventure in the kitchen!!!! I love sharing!!!

What is wholefood??

If you ask me – ‘Wholefoods’ is a fancy way of describing ingredients that are as natural as we can get them, with minimal interference from mankind. Step AWAY Monsanto.

Do you want to learn some simple basics in wholefood cooking so that you can step away from the microwave and eat fresh meals?

Do you want to come home to a meal that you prepared before you left for work.. yes in the little time that you have – with it cooking and ready to eat the minute you walk in the door?

Do you want to learn the truth about how easy it is to make healthy meals and snacks without spending your life in the kitchen, being a chef or employing one?

Do you want to empower your children to learn how to feed themselves when they leave home without relying on fast food? Do you want your children to outlive you- the parents? …..

Do you want to reconnect with your family? Meal times and preparing meals can be the best times to do this!

Do you want to learn how to make some of the delicious recipes I frequently share on instagram?

Think you don’t have time? I can show you that you do!

Think you cant afford it? I can show you that you it is possible.

Think it is too hard? I can show you how easy it is! AndFUN!!

Think it is all overwhelming? I can start you off by introducing you back into the kitchen. Cooking comes naturally to ALL of us. I guarantee you, if you had asked me 10 years ago if I would be hosting wholefood workshops I would have fallen over laughing. Wholefood cooking is ingrained in our genetics. It is how we survive and thrive. Natural foods create an energetic response in the body AND brain, that no pharmaceutical pill can give you. Precisely the reason why they want you eating that DEAD food!

There is no money in healthy people.

Do you want to reduce and even stop visiting a doctor eventually because you are so well no illness can come near you? Through wholefoods you can do this.

Come along and have some fun with me! I keep things simple- why complicate lives even more??!! Simple flavours- massive impact!!

These workshops are for anyone wanting to get their toes wet in the kitchen! Well fingers at least!! They are for people who care about their health,and want to live a long, healthy and prosperous life. They are for people who want to empower themselves with the knowledge of how to whip a delicious meal in a matter of minutes- filled with nutrition, life and health! They are for you and your friends!!!!

I want to show you that food is not the enemy!Food is your friend!Master simple food and you master so many aspects of life. Food is fuel to your body and mind – lets quit abusing this body we rent so that it can go the distance with us for all our days here on earth!

Ok my friends. Here it is- the long and the short of it. My last post was in May 2014- it was all about ‘seasons’ in life. I took an unexpected ‘season’ off this site- so I have missed it, and you unless you are connected via instagram or facebook, in which case you will know I have been cooking up a storm!

Me- I have little patience for anything technical. This means the cleverness of blogs (I really don’t understand how this thing works.. ) I just lost my entire blog by pressing the F5 key to reload the page… so at this moment I am slowing my breathing down and focusing on relaxing instead of doing what I instantly wanted to do: throw this thing out the window and communicate telepathically with you all. So you see- we all need a good coach in life – even the coaches themselves!

I’m good in person. So I am going to do more of what I am good at! Being around people!!

Wholefood Workshops with Vashteare coming!They will be:Hands on, you will get down and dirty in the thick of things, you will create master pieces in moments, have fun and learn loads whilst being in a fun, safe environment and sampling the goodies to take home and/or gobbling them up right then and there! And they will be fun! Did I mention fun?!

Wholefoods means making food from scratch with REAL ingredients. No refined sugars, no gluten just delicious food anyone can make… .once shown how.

My Wholefood Workshopswill show you how easy it is to make nutritious, delicious meals in moments- food that anyone can eat and LOVE be they: a calorie obsessed teenager; sweet tooth; savoury tooth; ‘no time to cook’ Mum or Dad, and especially for the fitness fanatic spending hours in the gym, on the track or bending it like Beckham in the yoga studio. Have you ever wondered why you spend so much time training but cannot seem to lose the weight? The answers will be in my Workshops!!!! Unlocking the secrets to all the questions you have about healthy wholefood!!! Yay!!

Wholefood Workshops with Vashte will not fall into any cooking ‘category’. They revolve around the food I eat to keep me healthy, lean and energetic. They will include:

raw food

cooked food

slow cooked meals

vegan food

vegetarian

carnivore

paleo

nuts and without nuts.

grains but mostly no grains.

natural sugars and how to use them. No refined sugar.

celiac meals.

smoothies- green and others !!

And certainly not limited to those.

Wholefood Workshops with Vashteare designed to get you involved, have fun and meet new like minded people. I want to show you how easy it is to make delicious food from scratch in moments.

Wholefood workshops with Vashte will show you how to save time AND money for meals.

Wholefood Workshops with Vashte will be 100% natural, or course, as this has always been and will always be my mandate.

Are you keen?

Workshops will be small to maintain a relaxed intimate group. The first people to be notified are those who have subscribed to this site ( it’s really easy to subscribe- it is the top right hand box…;) Register your interest in the comments below after subscribing, and or email me here: info@vashte.com

Coming soon to the Gold Coast!

Food Made Fun!

Showing you how Food is your Friend, and not your enemy!

Watch this space!!!

Know this: “If the diet is wrong medicine is of no use. If diet is correct medicine of of NO NEED” – Ayurvedic statement.

I am an advocate of preventative medicine through healthy living: Body, Soul and Spirit. Too many people I love have been affected by serous illness and even death. It is high time to move and make some waves.

Come along to a workshop, have some fun and learn some tricks to keep your taste buds and appetite happier than you have ever experienced them. Watch the weight fall away WITHOUT BEING ON A DIET.!!!!!!